Participation in various activities, such as lifting, often places a considerable strain on the lower back. Efforts to alleviate such back strain problems have been directed to abdominal support belts which are placed about the waist of the participants prior to engaging in an activity that possibly will introduce strains to the back.
It is generally accepted that the wearing of a properly designed abdominal support belt can significantly reduce the risk of back injury, especially in combination with the practice of good body mechanics, generally accepted lifting techniques and sound physical conditioning. Properly designed belts are those belts which are fitted to the individual user in a manner which permits the selection by the user of the degree of support required for the task at hand.
One type of abdominal support belt provides a waist band having overlapping ends which are detachably connectable, such as by mated hook and loop fabric, and a tensioning strap in the form of an elastic band that overlies the waist band having opposite ends which are detachably connectable, such as by mated hook and loop fabric, to the waist band. In a preferred embodiment, the tensioning strap is anchored intermediate its opposite ends to the waist band at locations such that the anchor overlies the spinal column of the wearer. Prior to activity, the waist band is positioned around the waist of the user and the ends of the waist band are connected in an overlapping relationship to secure the belt about the waist of the user. The tensioning strap is then stretched a desired amount by pulling each end of the tensioning strap toward the anterior midline of the user's abdomen. The ends of the tensioning strap are then connected to the waist band to secure the tensioning strap in its tensioned state which corresponds to the degree of support required for the task at hand. Such belts, however, have several disadvantages. For example, the ends of the waist band experience noticeable wear after relatively few uses. Particularly, the ends of the waist band exhibit a worn or weathered appearance and often curl inwardly. Another disadvantage of such belts is that the ends of the tensioning strap are inconveniently located and are hard to reach for the user when putting on the belt. In addition the ends of the tensioning band recoil strongly when released and often strike the user. This recoil can also cause the hook material on the end of the tensioning strap to contact the waist band and cause additional wear, particularly along the side edges of the waist band with resultant premature deterioration of the waist band.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved support belt which permits the selection by the user of the degree of support desired, and which offers improved ease of use and durability.